A request to this effect was presented to the commander. The commander stood his ground.

关于回航的建议向舰长提出来了。舰民不听，坚持自己的意见。

His sailors couldn't hide their discontent, and their work suffered because of it.

水手们公然表示不满，船上事务当然要受影响。

I'm unwilling to say that there was mutiny on board, but after a reasonable period of intransigence,

我不敢说船上就会发生叛变，但坚持了一个时期以后，

Commander Farragut, like Christopher Columbus before him, asked for a grace period of just three days more.

法拉古舰长像从前的哥伦布一样，请大家再忍耐三天。

After this three-day delay, if the monster hadn't appeared, our helmsman would give three turns of the wheel,

如果三天期满，怪物还不出现，掌舵的人把舵轮转三次，

and the Abraham Lincoln would chart a course toward European seas.

林肯号就向欧洲海岸进发。

This promise was given on November 2. It had the immediate effect of reviving the crew's failing spirits.

这个诺言在11月2日发出，它的效果首先是挽回了全体船员的失败心理。

The ocean was observed with renewed care. Each man wanted one last look with which to sum up his experience.

人人又以新的注意力观察洋面。人人都要最后看一下海洋，作为这次远征的纪念。

Spyglasses functioned with feverish energy. A supreme challenge had been issued to the giant narwhale,

望远镜不停地使用，没有一刻空着。这是对巨大独角鲸的最后挑战。

and the latter had no acceptable excuse for ignoring this Summons to Appear!

这个潜在海底的秘密还是没有揭露出来。